The present invention relates to a medical dressing and more particularly to a medical dressing of the type comprising a backing member provided on one surface with an adhesive compound and a compress.
In this Specification the word compress is used in its usual sense to mean a pad or cushion which may be impregnated with a medicament or which may merely be sterile, which is adapted to be placed in contact with a wound, abrasion or the like.
It is desirable to be able to provide a medical dressing which has a compress which can be maintained in a guaranteed sterile condition until the moment of use of the dressing, or which, if impregnated with a medicament, can be kept in a moist condition until the moment of the use. It will be appreciated that whilst sterile medical dressings of this type will be of use in treating wounds or abrasions, dressings of this type may be impregnated with an anesthetic and then the dressings may be useful for effecting local anesthesia for example at the site of a proposed injection. Of course, medical dressings of this type may also be used for many other purposes. It is important that in addition to the compress being maintained in a sterile or moist condition, the dressing may be quickly and simply applied. It is also desirable that any impregnation of the compress should not come into contact with the adhesive provided on the backing member, and at the same time evaporation of liquid from the compress must be avoided. It is of course desirable that the dressing may be manufactured in a sterile condition, or may subsequently be sterilized.